Andrew Liszewski

We first brought word of Prima's audacious plans to let movie buffs enjoy first-run titles from the comfort of their home theaters for $500 a flick back in 2010. But it looks like the company is finally rolling out the service, with a hardware price tag that's risen from $20,000 to $35,000. Really sweetens the deal, doesn't it?

The rackmount Prima Cinema player was actually designed by BMW's US design shop, so it will certainly look lovely amongst your other home theater gear. And for just half a grand it will download a 1080P copy of a film the same day it's released in theaters across the country, with better image quality, sound, and color than a Blu-ray copy. Not surprisingly, the system comes with a biometric security device preventing anyone but you from authorizing purchases. And it watermarks every downloaded film with a custom watermark so any attempts to share it online will make it obvious where the copy originated from.

So what do you think? Is $35,000 (plus $500 per flick) worth skipping the lines, sticky floors, and annoying patrons at your local movie theater? [Prima Cinema via Uncrate]